Monday, October 7, 2013

The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced - Frank Zappa

[COMMENT]Bulletin to all radio stations, I do not ever listen to any of your commercials. If they were interesting and funny I might. But you insist on slamming my ear holes with the likes of Larry Miller Sit and Sleep ads and Kar's for Kids and Mike Diamond and Dinovite and Ersop. The same ads over and over, for years and years. Who in this world do you think is not diving for the radio volume knob and turning that crap down. It's actually a lot of work to actually hear the acorn of content that local radio gives me. I almost peed myself hearing KRLA doing a spot about "The insiders advantage page, where you can interact with our advertisers". I mean you have got to be kidding me. I'm listening to radio for content. Radio stations pitching me on advertising is their problem. My problem is to avoid it at all costs. And avoiding it takes a lot of work and is exasperating.

Is that too subtle?

It's the same ads trying to cram their way into my skull day after day. Who would want to listen to these over and over? If you made them creative and funny or interesting it might be OK. How about having Larry Miller from Sit and Sleep come into the studio and take calls from pissed off listeners? How about having a bunch of kids come in and sing live the Kar's for Kids spot? Well wait a minute that might be going to far. How about Mike Diamond just shutting the hell up? Mike Diamond has been running the same ad for....it's gotta be 5 years. Blow it out your ass Mike.

Radio stations have no concern for the listeners listening experience at all. Well I can tell you one thing, the only people that are hearing your crap ass ads are people too lazy to reach for the radio knob. You tell your clients like Mike Diamond that their commercials work. I'm not calling him or listening to his ads ever. It just adds stress to my day, seriously. It's a given that Radio is all about selling ads, I get that, but I don't have to subject myself to a total all out Barrage on my ears daily, hand gesture.

Keep in mind stations like KFI want you to listen to them all day and hear all the ads, no dice for me. How about John Kobylt doing that denist ad about puss and rotten teeth, you have got to be kidding me. I have a strategy, it's called pushing a button.

They try to slam this crap into my head daily over and over and over and over. Do they care that I hate it? No. Do they care about my listening experience? LOL no way. Just slam and slam and slam, Dinovite! Larry Miller. Mike Diamond, Ersop! It's just awful stuff. These radio stations are just promising clients results for their money and everyday they just slam slam slam. I turn it off.......

For the record I have (on purpose) not patronized any companies that advertise on the radio. Why would I? That's the part of my day that sucks.

Believe me if you have a talk show host that you have loved for a long time, if that host for some reason leaves or is fired, that radio station will never tell you why they left or anything about it. They will just be gone and nobody will ever talk about it. It's happened multiple times in this town. I know all this sounds like I'm angry and have an attitude problem (what's new), but someone had to say it, and to this point in time I don't think any listener ever has ever expressed this assault of my ears....and your ears!

This is why I have other things to listen to, Podcasts and audiobooks, FM radio. If I hear all AM stations playing commercials at the same time I will either switch to NPR or turn on my audiobook. Sometimes when I've just had enough I turn on the classical station.

So lighten up LA Radio and give me a break, I hope all your clients read this post and say hey WTF? You have quality loyal listeners out here that are pissed, wake up.

[RADIO]I heard some interesting music. For me this is rare. A couple guys from Detroit are making some really interesting music. It's thoughtful, melodic and really hard to describe. It's light and upbeat with a kind of reflective quality. And their name is weird, they call themselves Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Yes that's two Jr's, why? It's kind of a goof as explained on their website. It was kind of a name they used while they were getting up and running with the band. The second Jr. pretty much telegraphs to you that it's just BS. It get's people talking that's for sure. I heard this interview on NPR with Rachel Martin. In a world with some pretty crappy music, I invite guys like this.

From NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Measures 'The Speed Of Things'

The Detroit duo of Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein release their new album this week.

[SIRIUSXM]American Top 40 with Casey Kasem on the 70's Channel did 1977 Sunday.

[TWEET]@wolfblitzer
Just spent 45 minutes spinning and got a good #schvitz. Thanks @SoulCycle

[PODCASTS]I love [Adam Carolla] but he's talking about Egg Nog and Thanksgiving on this episode already, god almighty. Sound quality for years on Adam's show is almost impossible to hear while driving in the car. The recording of the show is not being saved in the right format. I have emailed Adam many times and the sound quality just stays the same. High, highs and low lows. If someone is talking loud, it's too loud, if someone is whispering it's inaudible. The format of the show needs to be saved in a format that flattens the sound out. Someone there does not understand this. It's sooo annoying. It's a great show but you might want to listen to your own podcast there brother.

This week on [Marc Maron] is actress [Laura Dern]. One of my all time favorite movies is Smooth Talk with Laura Dern and Treat Williams from 1986. I can't wait to hear this interview. http://www.wtfpod.com

[AUDIOBOOKS]This last week [Tom Clancy] died. If you look on Audible.com there are just huge amounts of his books that are read by great people like Lou Diamond Phillips, Scott Brick and Michael Kramer, just great readers. Celebrate his life, what a legacy!

[LOS ANGELES PHOTO]Lake Hollywood. I would wager that most of the country would be stunned seeing this photo.

[PLATE]GLD DLOX
On a new red Cadillac CTS, older man. Both hands on the wheel.

[TECH][Leo Laporte] deserves some kudos. He's been gone for several weeks. He took a trip to Europe and pre-recorded his "The Tech Guy Show" that airs on KFI both Saturday and Sunday from 11-2. I normally would never listen to a pre-recorded radio show. But it's one of my routines on the weekend. I sit in front of the computer with a cup of coffee and I listen to Leo. He does a great show. Well I gotta tell you, these pre-recorded shows were just great. I'm frankly stunned. On Sunday he talked about the fact that it was pre-recorded and that he would be back next week (the 12th). He also said that he and his staff worked odd hours to get these shows recorded starting in the beginning of September and that he was proud of the job they did. I concur. Very entertaining, and while Leo left out any or all references to current events, he really pulled it off. This is a rare thing in radio. Leo is a total broadcast pro and this proves it. Hat's off!

Leo on his trip. Posted on Google + Classic Leo.

[ON THIS DAY]1950 - "The Frank Sinatra Show" debuted.

[CLASSIC RADIO]Pilot B-1 1940

[PARTING SHOT](WKRP) Dr. Johnny Fever: Hang onto your brains, fellow babies, this is Doctor Johnny Fever and have I got a contest for you! First prize is, you don't have to die! Second prize, a pocket comb!